Big Money Puppet Masters

"Next!" Udo J. Keppley

I want to preface this discussion: I have no problem with the traditional Republican platform. There are several sound, intelligent arguments under it, but the GOP we have today is miles away from the traditional platform. The party has gone off the deep end and succumb to the lunacy of this Tea Party crap. In fact, I would bet you dollars to doughnuts that Ronald Reagan, arguably the greatest president of the 20th century and an icon of Republican values, couldn't even get the GOP's nomination in this climate, but instead would face unrelenting criticism from Limbaugh and Palin.

My frustration with the Tea Party is that it fails to act on the behalf of the types of citizens who have fallen victim to its manipulation but insteads serves to overtly benefit the interests of profit charged conglomerates. The Tea Party has terrorized ill-informed voters into following tow by playing off their fears and lesser qualities of characters. It uses the worst in people to do the ground work of the economic elite. Grass roots movement my ass! This is all the con of a ungodly powerful few; specifically Charles and David Koch.

To better make this point I would like to refer you to an article published a few weeks ago in The New Yorker, Covert Operations by Jane Mayer. The article details the political involvment of Koch Industries, "the largest company that you've never heard of." This according to executive vice president and co-owner, David Koch, who along with his brother, Charles Koch, seem pretty content with that title as they have used their secrecy and ungodly amassed wealth to convertly impact the course of politics and public opinion in the interest of furthering their profit margins. The whole Tea Party movement is really the result of their multi-billion dollar investment over the decades to develop a idealogical ground force.

Through the creation and development of seemingly neutral and generic sounding thinks tank and charity groups, the brothers have been able to funnel ridiculous sums through the system in the promotion of an idealogical agenda that serves only the interest of their pockets. Koch is a massive oil conglomerate, the second-largest privately held company behind Cargill. The company has oil refineries in Alaska, Minnesota, and Texas along with upwards of four thousand miles of pipeline. In addition, Koch is the parent company of Brawny paper towels, Dixie Cups, Georgia-Pacific lumber, Stainmaster carpet, and Lycra, among others. The brothers are deeply and openly opposed to personal and corporate taxes and public services that follow and government regulation of industry; specifically environmental standards.

Despite near universal acceptance by the scientific community that global warming is a real and approaching threat and that fossil fuels play a significant role in its increase, the Koch brothers have gone to outlandish efforts to prevent any environmental legislation to address the problem. From 2005-'08 the brothers themselves outspent ExxonMobil on a tremendous scale in lobbying against regulation. Additionaly, while formaldehyde has been shown and recognized by the medical world to cause cancer, David Koch has spent hundreds of millions lobbying the EPA not to recognize the chemical as a "known carcinogen," all beause formaldehyde is one of the company's widely produced products.

This whole Tea Party bullshit does not have the interest of the working, blue collar Joe at heart. It is all a front companies like Koch behind to better satisfy their greed. I mean take a person like Sarah Palin. That damn bimbo does give a shit about hockey moms or the working class. If she did, she would of stuck to her duties in Alaska and fought on their behalf, instead of abandoning them for big money book deals and speaking tours and a fat salary with Fox.

Libertarins always talk about their fears of giving the government power. But with a government of the people that power is the power of the people that is being denied. Citizens pulling together to bring about democratic representation is the only weapon we as common individuals have against the economic elite hiding away in the shadows of their ivory towers. Many would say there is nothing wrong with what Koch is doing. All business lobby in their economic interest. The reason this instance is so unique is the immense wealth and thus influence that Koch's have thrown into the game and convert, underhanded, backdoor nature in which they did it.

I realize the government has a great many flaws, but when something doesn't run right do you throw it away? No, we fix are problems here in America, not abandon them in defeat. If you're afraid that government will go wild with power and turn into a totalitarian state (as it nearly did with the last administration), demand and lobby for transparency regulation; pay attention to the actions of your representatives and hold them accountable.